Monday numbers

62—number of days after Governor Pat McCrory took the oath of office in January that he issued a memo directing state agencies to hold salary increases, limit purchases and reduce travel to cover the state’s Medicaid liabilities.” (Press Release, Office of Governor Pat McCrory, March 8, 2013)

24—number of days after the release of the memo freezing salaries that HHS Communications Director Ricky Diaz and HHS Chief Policy Advisor Matthew McKillip, both former McCrory campaign aides, received raises of $23,000 and $22,500 respectively (“Big pay hikes in DHHS leadership team,” The Progressive Pulse, April 14, 2013)

37—percentage increase in pay received by HHS Communications Director Ricky Diaz on April 1 (Ibid)

85,000—amount in dollars of salary of HHS Communications Director Ricky Diaz after April 1 (Ibid)

35—percentage increase in pay received by HHS Chief Policy Adviser Matthew McKillip on April 1 (Ibid)

30,800—amount in dollars of starting salary of teacher in North Carolina public schools (Ibid)

15—number of years a teacher must work in North Carolina public schools to earn $40,000 a year (Ibid)

0—amount in dollars of the raise for teachers in the budget passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor McCrory (Ibid)

10—percentage pay boost for teachers who earn master’s degrees that was eliminated this year by the budget passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor McCrory (“N.C. teacher pay stranded by shifts in education laws,” Charlotte Observer, August 17, 2013)

280—total number of employees at HHS who received raises after the March 8 memo from Governor McCrory directing agencies to hold the line on salary increases (“Hefty raises at DHHS raise question of qualifications,” WRAL-TV, August 16, 2013)

0—combined number of years of health policy experience and number of health related education degrees on McKillip’s resume (“Hefty raises at DHHS raise question of qualifications,” WRAL-TV, August 16, 2013)

30—number of divisions and offices at Department of Health and Human Services, including Divisions of Medical Assistance, Child Development and Early Education, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Substance Abuse Services, Rural Health and Community Care, and Public Health (N.C. Department of Health and Human Services website)

14—number of facilities overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, including psychiatric hospitals, alcohol and drug treatment centers, and residential programs for children (Ibid)

About the author

Chris Fitzsimon, Founder and Executive Director of N.C. Policy Watch, writes the Fitzsimon File, delivers a radio commentary broadcast on WRAL-FM and hosts "News and Views," a weekly radio news magazine that airs on multiple stations across North Carolina.chris@ncpolicywatch.com
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